A caravan of seven vans filled with immigrant rights activists stopped at a section of border fence in San Diego on Tuesday as part of a journey from Sacramento to El Paso.

With their Caravan Against Fear, the activists hope to send a message to the administration of President Donald Trump that its immigration policies — including a border wall, increased deportations and more scrutiny of refugees — are unacceptable to them.

One featured a border caravan against fear. The other promoted an upcoming event at which faith leaders promise to push for change on deportation policies.

The U-T...

The San Diego Union-Tribune posted two items today centering around fear about the immigration policies of President Donald Trump.

One featured a border caravan against fear. The other promoted an upcoming event at which faith leaders promise to push for change on deportation policies.

The U-T...

(Kate Morrissey)

“We are opening Pandora’s Box that will lead to catastrophe in this country,” said Alejandra Valles, a Los Angeles-based labor organizer with Service Employees International Union Workers West, at a news conference at the border.

“It is troubling for our border community, and it should be troubling to each and every one of us,” Johnson said at the news conference.

The group is encouraging Trump and his team to reach out to local leaders of border communities to have direct conversations about border communities’ needs. Immigrant rights activists have repeatedly criticized Trump administration officials for only meeting with Border Patrol and other immigration enforcement officials when they visit border towns.

Christian Ramirez, director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, said that dialogues created between community members by the caravan contrast with the way the Trump administration has approached learning about border communities.

“We hope President Trump learns a lesson from this,” Ramirez said.

During the group’s stop at the border, a few Border Patrol officers monitored the area on all-terrain vehicles.

The group, a mix of civil rights, labor and religious activists, among others, traveled from Sacramento to San Diego and then headed east for a tour of border communities. They estimate the total trip will be about 3,500 miles.

San Diegan Jesus Mendez Carbajal, who organizes with Alliance San Diego, boarded a plane on Tuesday to join the caravan in Tucson. Mendez Carbajal will be blogging about his experiences on the trip.

He said he was looking forward to learning about life and views in other areas along the Southwest border, and he wants to see local communities empowered at the caravan’s events. He hopes the experience will build solidarity across states, he said.

“I hope we’re able to live a little less afraid,” Mendez Carbajal said by telephone on a layover at the airport.

Saul Cortes, 24, of Mexico City, said he felt compelled to come north to participate in the caravan because he thinks the border wall is sending the wrong message.

“These kinds of expression are part of a hate machine,” Cortes said. “The countries can’t represent the division of people.”

Activities at the caravan’s stops along the way range from community celebrations to protests. In Sherman Heights on Monday night, the group met for conversations, music and dancing, according to Ramirez.